Wendy Torrance, played by Shelley Duvall, is often overlooked in the Final Girl conversation, but she shouldn’t be. In The Shining (1980), Wendy is trapped in the sprawling, snowbound Overlook Hotel with an unraveling Jack and a terrified Danny. Yet despite overwhelming odds and ever-increasing terror, Wendy proves that resilience isn’t about wielding an axe—it’s about endurance, instinct, and doing whatever it takes to protect your child. This week, we examine Wendy’s role as a Final Girl, the film’s chilling psychological horror, and why her performance deserves more recognition.

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🩸 Spoiler Warning: The halls of the Overlook are filled with ghosts—and spoilers. Listen at your own risk!

If you enjoy Final Girls, take a moment to rate and review us—it helps more horror fans find the show, and we’d love to hear your thoughts!

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

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Sam from A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) - brilliantly and expressively played by Lupita Nyong’o - isn’t your typical Final Girl. She’s a woman facing her own ticking clock before the alien invasion even begins. This week, we follow Sam’s unique Final Girl journey through a silenced New York City with her cat Frodo, her unexpected and beautiful companionship with a British stranger, and how her quest for pizza becomes something deeper. We also dig into the film’s emotional core, its unique take on linear time, and why Sam stands out in the Final Girl canon.

🩸 Spoiler Warning: Stay quiet, tread carefully, and keep your ears open—this episode is packed with A Quiet Place: Day One spoilers. Listen at your own risk!

If you enjoy Final Girls, please take a moment to rate and review us—it helps more horror fans find the show, and we’d love to hear your thoughts!

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

Being a loan officer in LA is tough, but for Christine Brown (played by Alison Lohman), denying a mortgage extension comes with hellish consequences—literally. In Drag Me to Hell (2009), Christine finds herself cursed by a vengeful old woman, stalked by a relentless demon, and racing against time to escape eternal damnation. This week, we break down Christine’s Final Girl arc from timid banker to desperate survivor, the many scary movie appearances of Justin Long, and the fine line between terror and hilarity in the comedy horror subgenre.

🩸 Spoiler Warning: Cross your fingers, toss some coins, and double-check your buttons—this episode is cursed with Drag Me to Hell spoilers. Listen at your own risk!

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

A quick detour to check on a family grave turns into a nightmare when Sally Hardesty and her friends stumble upon something far worse than vandalism. Trapped in the heart of Texas with a family of cannibals, Sally must endure a relentless, nightmarish chase that will push her to the very edge of survival.

This week, we discuss how Sally embodied the Final Girl trope, the raw terror of her performance, and why The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains one of the most viscerally disturbing horror films of all time. When she finally escapes, drenched in blood and laughing maniacally in the back of a pickup truck, one question remains: Did she really survive, or did she just escape?

Find the book Sarah references here: The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

🩸 Spoiler Warning: If you thought road trips were bad, wait until you see what’s for dinner. Listen at your own risk!

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

What do you do when the love of your life—who bailed right after you survived a collective horror—comes waltzing back into town a decade later… just in time for the anniversary of said trauma? That’s the nightmare facing this week’s Final Girl, Sarah (My Bloody Valentine, 2009), played by Jaime King. As a masked killer with a pickaxe and a penchant for carving out hearts terrorizes her town again, Sarah finds herself caught in a deadly love triangle—one that threatens not just her dignity and relationships, but her survival itself.

🩸 Spoiler Warning: If you think heartbreak is painful, try a pickaxe to the chest. Listen at your own risk!

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

Your high school BFF isn’t just a friend—she’s your bodyguard, your psychic twin, your ride-or-die… and sometimes, your biggest downfall. Just ask Anita "Needy" Lesnicki (played by Amanda Seyfried), a Final Girl unlike any other.

This week, we sink our teeth into Needy as a Final Girl in Jennifer’s Body, dissecting how the film flips the male gaze on its head, explores the intensity of female friendships, and embraces teenage girl queerness in all its messy, monstrous glory. We also dig into Needy’s complicated relationships with Jennifer and Chip, her struggle to understand Jennifer’s newfound demonic hunger, and her mission to stop her best friend’s blood-soaked rampage—no matter the cost.

🩸 Spoiler Warning: This episode is hella cursed—listen at your own risk.

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

Maxine Minx is a final girl with ambition as sharp as her instincts. Played by the incomparable Mia Goth, Maxine claws her way through Ti West’s X trilogy, proving that in 1980s Hollywood, fame isn’t just about talent—it’s about survival. With dreams of stardom and a ruthless will to succeed, she’ll do whatever it takes to secure her place on the Walk of Fame… even if it means leaving a bloody trail behind.

This week, we pull back the curtain on Maxine’s journey, with a deep dive into the trilogy’s third film. We explore its rich themes, from saints vs. sinners to the blurred lines between fame and infamy, sex and violence, and the price of chasing Hollywood dreams. 🎥✨

🔪 Spoiler Warning: Although we focus on MaXXXine, we discuss all three films, so watch your step!

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

Selena from 28 Days Later isn’t just a survivor; she’s arguably the Final of all Final Girls. Armed with grit, resourcefulness, and a machete, she slashes her way through rage-infected chaos across the English countryside alongside her makeshift family. But Selena’s journey stands apart from most final girls because her redemption arc doesn’t come from simply outlasting the nightmare. Instead, her survival is rooted in something deeper—learning to trust, connect, and build a family unit to endure the horrors together.

Portrayed with stunning nuance by Naomi Harris, Selena is a powerhouse of resilience and complexity, a character as fierce as she is layered. This week, we’re thrilled to peel back the bloody curtain and dive into her story.

One thing’s for sure: if the rage virus ever broke out, Selena would be the first person we’d want by our side—though let’s be honest, we’d be terrified of slowing her down!

Please note: We discuss sexual assault and harassment in this episode while covering the film's third act.

⚠️ Spoiler alert: We're spilling the tea on the twists and turns, so proceed with caution.

🎵 Theme by Max Anson

💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com